Current Ballet.co Magazine
February 2006

We have the next Ballet.co Magazine coming together and you can see it grow through the next month until it is released at the end of March.

Next Ballet.co Magazine
March 2006 - go see a work in progress

Previous Ballet.co magazine - January 2006

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Quick Links for this magazine
Interviews, Features, In the Galleries, Reviews, Postings Reviews, External Reviews, Photographic Copyright and Credits

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Features


Reading the Riot Act...
Kenneth Archer and Millicent Hodson on the ups & downs of a TV docudrama about The Rite of Spring.

BBC TV'S 'Riot at the Rite' is due for transmission on the 11 March 2006.


So, You Want to Learn to Dance?
Another in the series from Anjuli Bai:
Expanding the Class Schedule and What Can be Done Outside of Class...

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Interviews



Svetlana Lunkina...
Jeffery Taylor interviews one of the Bolshoi's best on the eve of the companies UK tour

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Diaries and weblogs


Christopher Hampson...
'32000ft Atlantic Ocean'
(Diary home)...


Jatkko Lehmus weblog... the Scottish Ballet dancer who tells it like no other. Who else but Jarkko could have: 'A new addition to the mayhem is the ripping pain from the scars from a lung operation I had during army sevice'?
(weblog home)



Ballet Central weblog
Each year we follow some final-year Central School of Ballet students through their final training, UK tour and hunt for jobs. This month we welcome the 2006 diarists - Julia Davies, Katherine Hollinson and Robert Phillips...
(Weblog Home)

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In the Galleries

Currently our Images Gallery contains over 1900 images.


Royal Ballet: Jonathan Cope Farewell
Pictures by readers Jenny Taylor and Ami Shah


Mara Galeazzi, Mara in Motion 2006, Brescia
Pictures by Marco Cappalunga

John Ross Photographs
Albums added in February 2006...


Royal Ballet - Ballet Imperial quad bill

Sadler's Wells Flamenco Festival


Ballet Nacional de Espana

Ballet Flamenco Sara Baras

Gala de Andalucia

Ballet Flamenco de Andalucia

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Reviews
Ballet.co reviews entered between 01/02/2006 and 28/02/2006 will be included here as we add them in through the month...

USA Reviews

Kings of the Dance

'Kings of the Dance': Anjuli Bai

"This was not an evening for comparisons but an opportunity to savor four equally delectable entrees..."

'Kings of the Dance': Nysusan

"The Kings just finished their NY run. I went to all 4 performances and & I'm sorry to say there wasn't a camera in sight - so there will be no record of these shows for posterity. The program was very well received, so I'll bet there will be future versions."

more reviews in Postings Reviews section

New York City Ballet

'Friandises' bill: Eric Taub

"Although uneven, parts of Friandises are stunning. However, sober reflection forces me to add that for the most part the dancers served Martins' choreography far better than it served them."

'In the Night' bill: Eric Taub

"Created in 1970, for three couples dancing to four of Chopin's familiar Nocturnes, In the Night is often seen as a coda to Robbins' 1969 masterpiece, Dances at a Gathering, also to Chopin. There are, indeed, similarities, as Robbins also uses duets to explore relationship in Dances, but while Dances has a tone of contemplative, nostalgic reflection, In the Night is bursting with juicy, romantic extravagance. It's hard to imagine any couple from..."

'Mother Goose' bill: Eric Taub

"The program for last Sunday's matinee at the State Theater sounded promising and delightfully eclectic..."


San Francisco Ballet

'Apollo' bill: Renee Renouf

"Dance Critic Rita Felciano summarized the response when she said, “It is the perfect ballet,” to my comment “If there was only one great ballet Balanchine ever did, Apollo has be it.”"

'Rodeo and Apollo bills': Renee Renouf

"In Spring Rounds, a delicious little ballet, one needs to be grateful that Tomasson asked Paul Taylor to create it for the company; I hope it's the first of several. Taylor's ability to stage polite, but exuberant behavior is a rare, beautiful gift, evoking civilized training so often absent in current grunge attitudes and attire."

'Rodeo' bill: Renee Renouf

"I'd love to see company and Taylor conspire with a darker or melancholic work; to stretch the dancers' dramatic capacities Taylor would be ideal."

'Swan Lake': Renee Renouf

"If Feijoo was warm and sensual, Tan was cool and remote. Both Feijoo and Tan could profit with coaching; Feijoo in certain details; Tan in emotional motivation, for the latter is still out in the lake."


Noche Flamenca

'Flamenco bill': Renee Renouf

"The strength of Noche Flamenco lies in the very sobriety of its presentation; artistic director Martin Santangelo was present through most of the numbers, sitting, sharing in the jaleo, but not performing. I found myself watching his responses to the dances as much as the performers."


Peru Negro

'Peruvian Black Dance bill': Renee Renouf

"The ten dancers, evenly divided by gender, were young, engaging, extraordinarily adept in torso and hip undulations, a steady vibrato hurricane in both departments throughout their nine dances."


French Reviews

Rachid Ouramdane

'Cover': Graham Watts

"Despite an eclectic soundtrack (from Björk to Nina Simone, Hendrix to Gershwin) and a highly developed visual tapestry, which successfully retained a stranglehold on my consciousness, I found 'Cover' ultimately to be a dismal and confusing work."


Italian Reviews

Mara Galeazzi

'Mara in Motion 2006': Mandy Kent

"Many congratulations to Mara and all her 'team' of dancers, technicians and friends who arranged this special gala and made our trip to Brescia such fun. Thanks for letting us join you afterwards so that the London 'posse' really felt part of the adventure."


Hong Kong Reviews

Birmingham Royal Ballet

'Beauty And The Beast': Kevin Ng

"The first cast (which I saw on the last night of the tour) led by the golden couple of Elisha Willis and Robert Parker, was magnificent. Willis, whom I saw for the first time, was a revelation. She has an easy technique and a natural radiance."


UK Reviews

Royal Ballet

'Ballet Imperial' bill: Lynette Halewood

"Leanne Benjamin was the Firebird. It's a role she has appeared in many time over the years, but she just seems to get better – more fierce, more wild and more quiveringly birdlike as time goes on. She revels in her power to subdue Kostchei's servants."

'Ballet Imperial' bill: Jane Simpson

"Lots of interesting performances last night, but for me the only bit of the evening that really took fire was the Tchaikovsky pas de deux, done by Nunez and Acosta."

'Ballet Imperial' bill: Ann Williams

"I found Jonathan Cope's little farewell speech very touching, and typically modest."

'Ballet Imperial' bill: Ian Palmer

"It is a shame that Cope could not dance in this as scheduled, but the company nevertheless did him proud. Great to see him on stage and great to offer him our thanks."

'Romeo and Juliet Study Day': John Mallinson

"As always Monica Mason treated her dancers with affection, care and respect, and maintained a good-humoured atmosphere. That interaction alone is a source of great pleasure to the onlooker. Everyone enjoyed themselves."

'Giselle': Simonetta Dixon

"A very promising, if a bit tentative, debut from Mara in Giselle last night."


Maya Plisetskaya Gala

'Maya Plisetskaya Gala': Wulff

" Snow White pdd: "The opening adage was pretty conventional but things livened up with the two variations, and even more in the coda when Tamara performed a never ending series of single fouettes (I didn't count, but she must have excceded 32 by quite a margin). These were followed by some superfast chaines bringing the number to an exciting close and definitely raising the temperature."

'Maya Plisetskaya Gala': Simonetta Dixon

"Most Baffling Dancer: Irma Nioradze. She danced an exceptional Dying Swan...those arms were amazing. However..."

'Maya Plisetskaya Gala': Ginpit

"But Maya's spirit prevailed as she took possession of an empty stage, rotating, with those noble ports de bras, as in slow motion~ what need assembled colleagues, or thrown flowers?"

'Maya Plisetskaya Gala': Ian Palmer

"Which is why the greatest pleasures of the evening were to see the young dogs performing new tricks..."


Northern Ballet Theatre

'Madame Butterfly': Janet McNulty

"...Darren (Goldsmith) is a very elegant dancer and is always a joy to watch on stage. He can find the pathos in any role. Many of the audience were in tears – and this was the happy bit!"


Ballet Flamenco de Andalucia

'Flamenco Programme': Ian Palmer

"I confess that I know absolutely nothing about flamenco, but even so it is difficult not to get swept away in the elemental fire of this dance genre."


Ballet West

'Romeo and Juliet': Trog

"A very sterling effort from this inexperienced group of dancers. They are not a company as such and lacking the stage experience that life with a company brings. Despite this, the dancers entertained and delighted the audience."


Brazen Dance Theatre

'Resolution!': Graham Watts

"The two parts were difficult to reconcile and neither seemed to fit the work's declared rationale."


Compania Andres Marin

'Asimetrias (Asymmetrical)': Jeffery Taylor

"Nothing is allowed to come between us and him and his apparent solutions to eternal mysteries. By the curtain's fall I felt I, too, had all the answers. As for the questions.."


Helix Dance

'Resolution!': Graham Watts

"Heaven only knows what it was all about!"


Ishira Dance

'Resolution!': Graham Watts

"The piece was enjoyable and the integration of contemporary dance and bharata natyam provided food for thought, perhaps too much in a sense..."


Martina Seitl Christer Lundahl

'Resolution!': Graham Watts

"This was a couple that the audience cared about, wanting them to overcome a long list of “unresolved relationship issues” and the tender, happy ending made this a romantically appropriate late addition to our Valentine's night programme."


Nada Gambier

'Resolution!': Graham Watts

"...irrespective of whether she achieved her intentions, this was a bizarre, pointless and generally unpleasant work: to carry out an autopsy of a performance there needs to have been one in the first place."


Nordic Allure

'Resolution!': Graham Watts

"The final piece was equally pretentious but in an altogether different way..."


Renegade Theatre

'Rumble': Jeffery Taylor

"The ground breaking Rumble sends out complex and controversial messages, but the basic proposition is simply hope and a profound belief in the power of dance. And who are we to argue with that?"

'Rumble': Louise Bennett

"Hopefully Renegade Theatre will pursue this, developing the essence of this already successful production and exploring its possibilities."


Russian State Ballet of Siberia

'Giselle': Alison Penfold

"... it was a fairly traditional and effective rendition of the second act, but probably not one I'd choose to go back and see again."


Satu Tuomisto Dance

'Resolution!': Graham Watts

"The Finnish entry merited slightly more than “null points”, deserving at least something for style and concept, although not much for substance."


Simply Ballroom

'Simply Ballroom': Jeffery Taylor

"Veteran hoofer Lionel Blair hosts and his solo spot of two songs and two dance numbers is a triumph of enthusiasm over age, but teenagers Ben Hardwick and Emma Slater simply amaze while youth and the miracle of moving to music just blow you away."


Some Dance Company

'Resolution!': Graham Watts

"I was instantly attracted to the look of Joe Garcia's 'Taken' with its intelligent use of lighting, costume and space."


himherandit-productions

'Resolution!': Graham Watts

"...outside of some early appeal, the movement became dull, repetitive and boring."



Postings Reviews section
Kings of the Dance 'Kings of the Dance': art076
Royal Ballet 'Ballet Imperial' bill: Bruce Marriott
Royal Ballet 'Ballet Imperial' bill: Anneliese Handley
Maya Plisetskaya Gala 'Maya Plisetskaya Gala': Bruce Marriott
Maya Plisetskaya Gala 'Maya Plisetskaya Gala': John Mallinson
Maya Plisetskaya Gala 'Maya Plisetskaya Gala': Michael LL
Matthew Bourne 'Edward Scissorhands': Janet McNulty
Birmingham Royal Ballet 'The Seasons' bill: Janet McNulty
Rambert Dance Company 'A Steel Garden' bill: Ian Graham
Rambert Dance Company 'A Steel Garden' bill: Ann Welsh

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External Review Links
Each day Ballet.co scour the world for Review links (and news and interviews ones too) and put them in our database along with our own reviews. You can see the last few days' links on the:
TodaysLinks page

In the period from 1 Feb to 28 February (last update of this page) we have 361 links for you.

Alternatively try searching for exactly what you are after with our: Reviews Advanced Search page

All our links list dancer details, a full list of pieces performed and a brief quote that gives the flavour of the review. Sadly not all papers maintain their links and so we cannot absolutely guarantee any particular URL. Enjoy, and if you think we have missed a review do send us a link.

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Photographic Copyright and Credits

All photographs are copyright and cannot be taken and/or used elsewhere. Click on an image to be taken to the associated page where appropriate credits are stated.

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